uprightbent

Velo Orange was such an important resource, still can be, but look where they've headed with mainly overbuilt mountain-ish bikes, nothing's been lugged for a long while.
Rene Herse/ Compass, just posted their carbon, are you effing kidding me, frame up for orders. In a ghastly matte finish. Is Rene rolling in his grave. Is Singer laughing.
Rivendell-oh god maybe don't mention them. Grocery getters with childish names for nearly $3k. Everyone's helmetless pushing them up hills in black and white. WTF.
Harris Cyclery and many others like them have closed their doors for good. Lotsa blackwalls at vintage rides and shows. At least there's still Eroica.

While I lament the shift in these keepers of the flame, we still have Craigslist and EBay which I suspect will become invaluable as aforementioned resources continue to dry up for derailers that aren't black, rims that aren't matte, forks that aren't straight, and so on. Maybe vintage bikes will also become more valuable as they're seemingly less replaceable unless you get on a custom builder's list and wait 2 years. Yes, these are first world problems of a retro grouch, but it's kinda sad to see these trends from my personal view and watch the art and beauty of classic cycles slowly die and morph into just another device.

curbtender

There will always be someone restoring the hand me down. I was at a recent non profit bike shop sale that had a bunch of stripped down frames. Somebody is hoarding the parts.

repechage

If you want vintage there is plenty out there, just might have to wait for the opportunity.

all the current brands mentioned are providing an answer to a segment they identified.
if you are not interested, don't purchase.
complaining about a segment no longer addressed in current manufacture points that there is no volume in a product with those attributes at a price the market will tolerate.

wait 18 months and there will be huge inflation pressure for steel and titanium.

reference where pig iron was produced and where titanium was mined and processed. Hint, currently a war zone.

Bad Lag

As the song goes, "Money, money, money, mon-ney,... MONEY!"

How about starting an "Industry Subforum" where vintage bike builders and vintage parts sellers can list their wares? It would not be a sales forum but a list of suppliers. As such, it would be a resource.

nlerner

You need to attend one of the annual North American Handbuilt Bicycle shows. The number of small-batch builders doing beautiful things with lugs and steel is remarkable. And, fwiw, Rivendell still seems committed to lugs and steel though I agree with your characterization. Is it classic steel, lugged racing bikes you’re lamenting?

Classtime 

Doesn't Grant still offer the Rodeo?

wrk101

I have seen no drop off in the availability of parts for vintage bikes, as long as you are OK with used parts. Other than consumables, all of my parts come in the form of a complete used bike. I avoid buying deals as I am full up, but I see deals all the time. I saw two today, been for sale for a while, both priced at about 25% of market value. I have made no effort to get either one.

Velo Orange as an important supplier? I have never bought a single item from them. I've owned and rebuilt at least 750 vintage bikes. For me at least, they are not an important supplier. I can still find USED parts for a lot less than any shop or outlet charges. I've never been into reproduction stuff either.

SurferRosa

Fake news.

smd4

Personally, I enjoy the challenge of finding new or like-new parts on eBay.

One of my other hobbies is Lionel electric trains. You think vintage cycling is small? Yet, I can still get new parts for my Lionel trains from the 1940s.

Interest in vintage bicycles isn't going anywhere.

Robvolz 

OK, my other hobby is McIntosh stereos.

I love the big/warm sound of the bits from the 70's and am forced to accept a digital readout from the CD player from the early 80s.

I don't like the new stuff. Buy a BOSE, don't care. Sonos, good for you.

I understand that tech evolves, chassis change size, and Moore's law. Still don't care. I want what I want. Either you get it or you don't. The companies aren't making products for me, and it can be a hassle to keep my components running. Luckily there is the internet and others with the same mindset.

Exactly the same with cycling.

xiaoman1 

I fear that all good things will come to an end (evolve).....at least shift in terms of desirability. Witness how the car hobby has changed over the years.....shifting from 40 Fords with flat-heads to Tri-Fives and on to Camaro's/Mustangs (name you favorite) and to now the Euro/Asian brands.
There will alway be a 'Vintage" market but IMO, It will steadily decrease and be redefined as a new/younger generation enters the market......"Vintage" will also be further operationalized.
Best, Ben

scarlson 

Oh man. Herse carbon? I don't see any fenders, racks, or lights on there either. Does seem like the shark has been jumped at this point. He'll put the Herse name on anything, I guess.

nlerner

I fear vintage keeps getting more vintage as the years roll along.

tiger1964 

If the "goofy bikes" on VO's websites brings in enough money to keep their doors open, I'm OK with that. I still buy stuff from them, although they moved and no longer 20 minutes from my house.

polymorphself

The RH thing is silly to me as well, but appears to just be a limited batch of a project they teamed up with another company for.

Velo Orange frames were never lugged (or if they were it's been a very long time), and while some of their designs have strayed from my preferences, they do still sell everything that I've ever used them for on my vintage bikes. I'm guessing selling the bikes that we don't like allows them to keep selling us the stuff we do like.

Bianchi84

What is "C&V" about those companies other than jumping someone else's train? I don't blame them in the least for finding a profitable niche, but what else could have been expected? People want easy access to some compatible parts without the hunt and are willing to pay a premium for it; for every seller there was buyer.

brianmcg123

That Rene Herse looks pretty sweet. Love the color.

gugie 

They were originally lugged. I had one for awhile.

Mad Honk 

Well Ben,
The market for pre-1900 autos is extremely tight. And the races are getting fewer and fewer as folks don't want to tear up vehicles which are hard to replace, and parts are no longer available for. Just finding the clincher tires for a wooden rim is tough. (About as tough as mounting them!) It is pretty cool to be putting along on one cylinder with a direct drive without a clutch and learning how to shift. Few folks if many will ever get to ride in one, let alone see one of these machines. A lucky man here in middle IN. Smiles, MH

gugie 

I've got enough vintage parts and frames to last me until I'm 100 if I last that long. Past that, as long as there are 2 wheeled vehicles that require pedalling, bicycling will survive and hopefully thrive.

jdawginsc 

Amazing how vintage parts reproduce when left to their own devices in boxes and bins. Without care or feeding.

Love those “where did that come from” moments...

BFisher 

What a fitting thread title for Halloween! Cue pics of chained up, decaying husks of once shiny new machines. The horror!



Also, define "vintage cycling." Is it just one thing? I've been having a blast with an old Schwinn DX turned into a big boy BMX recently. To me, I'm just riding an old bike. But am I "vintage cycling?"

SurferRosa

Will Rogers?

I've learned to keep a few replacements on hand, just in case, you know, a freewheel (or two) an extra crankset/bb...

... or even a complete bike that I don't ride much (and I can't sell locally for what I think it's worth), but I could always part out to use on another bike with a failed whatever.

So, "no worries"?

​​​

1989Pre

Velo Orange? I'm not sure too many of us would opt for modern iterations of classic components and accessories. I can't speak for anyone but myself, but I like to keep my bikes (with the exception of the M80) period-and-place correct, so you don't see me doing too much V.O., Soma, Cane Creek, etc. It's all good stuff, but I am a little bit of a purist.
CALEUMRC900 CALEUM

SoccerBallXan

We’re getting old, old man!

At this point there’s carbon that’s considered well vintage. “Larger” bicycle producers might no longer care for MangMoly or CroMo, but brittle Mr. Carpenter is still producing beauties in his garage down the block (With no help from Mrs. Carpenters nagging).